Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour is winding down, but it sounds like some politicians in the United Kingdom aren’t done beefing over it. Taylor received royal-level security ahead of her second multiday stint at Wembley Stadium in August following threats of a terrorist attack just weeks earlier in Vienna, and although the shows did go off without a hitch, some aren’t happy about the special treatment she received — or what it may have cost taxpayers.
More from CafeMom: Grandma Creates Taylor Swift ‘ScEras Tour’ Halloween Decorations & We’re Totally Obsessed
Earlier this week, reports surfaced that Taylor had received more security during her second stop in London than she did the first time.
According to The Sun, Taylor’s mom, Andrea Swift, was the one to insist that the singer receive the highest level of security while she was in London at the end of the summer and even threatened to cancel the shows if these demands weren’t met. This request came after Taylor’s concerts in Vienna had been canceled after investigators caught wind of a terrorist plot with a goal of killing concertgoers that led to multiple arrests.
The London concerts were the first time Taylor would perform following the terrorist threats.
Taylor did end up receiving upgraded security.
The BBC reported that Taylor received a motorcycle convoy to escort her to Wembley.
“Our decision-making is based on a thorough assessment of threat, risk and harm and the circumstances of each case,” a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police told the network.
More from CafeMom: Donald Trump’s Outburst Against Taylor Swift Could Have Major Impact on Election
Now, a major controversy has emerged out of the situation.
The UK’s prime minister, Kier Starmer, was given four tickets to the Eras Tour worth £2,800 (more than $3,600) and was able to meet Taylor backstage. Some believe he received the tickets in return for allowing Taylor to have increased security, and as police services like this are taxpayer-funded, it’s caused quite a stir.
However, Kier did pay Taylor’s label, Universal Music Group, for the cost of the tickets, and his spokesperson said their office “completely rejects that characterization” of the prime minister.
“It’s ultimately up to the police to take operational decisions in relation to these big events,” the spokesperson said, according to the BBC.
The prime minister isn't the only UK politician to receive free Eras tickets.
The BBC also reported that Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, were involved in the security discussion and received free Eras tickets as well — along with other Labour politicians. The news outlet does note, however, that Yvette’s tickets were actually given to her husband, Good Morning Britain host Ed Balls, and the mayor’s tickets came from the Football Association.
Needless to say, their critics have a lot of opinions about the situation, including Boris Johnson, former prime minister, who wrote about the situation in a column for The Daily Mail.
“What was it about Ms Swift that she deserved this extraordinary privilege? Why did Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, apparently decide to depart from precedent in this way? Why did she and Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, reportedly lean on the police? We all know the answer, don’t we?” he wrote. “It’s because the Labour Government is deeply and personally beholden to Taylor Swift, and they were terrified she was going to cancel her August concerts.”
Taylor mentioned the security measures taken in London in an Instagram post.
“I decided that all of my energy had to go toward helping to protect the nearly half a million people I had coming to see the shows in London. My team and I worked hand in hand with stadium staff and British authorities every day in pursuit of that goal, and I want to thank them for everything they did for us,” she wrote at the time.
Given how terrifying the threat in Vienna was, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the UK government decided to offer her increased security to keep everyone involved safe without any influence at all from Taylor’s team — and fortunately, the concerts did go off without a hitch.
